Failed the Vision Test at the DMV in Florida? Here’s What to Do
You went to renew your license, read the letters in the vision machine, and were told you didn’t pass. It happens to a lot of drivers, and it usually doesn’t mean you’ll lose your license. Often you simply need an updated prescription. Here’s what happens next in Florida.
Why people fail the screening
The screening at the driver license office is quick, and many things can affect it:
- An outdated glasses or contact lens prescription
- Forgetting to bring or wear your glasses
- Early cataracts, which make vision hazy or dim
- Dry eye, which can blur vision from moment to moment
- Eye conditions that affect side (peripheral) vision
What Florida requires
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) requires at least 20/70 in either eye or both eyes together, with or without glasses or contacts. If one eye is 20/200 or worse, the other eye must see 20/40 or better. The state also requires at least 130 degrees of uninterrupted horizontal field of vision.
When a driver doesn’t meet the standards at the office, the state asks for a Report of Eye Exam (HSMV 72010) completed by an eye doctor, such as an optometrist.
What to do next
- Keep the form the driver license office gave you. If you don’t have it, the eye doctor’s office can usually print it from the state’s website.
- Get a comprehensive eye exam. The doctor checks how clearly you see with your best prescription and looks for causes like cataracts.
- Have a visual field test to measure your side vision.
- Leave with the completed form and follow the instructions from the driver license office to finish your renewal.
If you need new glasses to pass
Often the fix is simply a new prescription. Once you have it, update your glasses or contacts and you’re ready to renew.
Where to go
At every Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists office inside Visionworks, our doctors do the comprehensive eye exam and visual field test and complete your Florida vision form in about 30 minutes. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Saturday. See how the driver license vision test works and find our offices inside Visionworks.
Rules and forms can change. For the latest, see the FLHSMV vision standards.
Questions from former patients
What happens if I fail the vision test at the DMV in Florida?
You will be asked to see an eye doctor, who examines your eyes and completes a Report of Eye Exam (HSMV 72010). Many people simply need an updated prescription.
What vision do you need for a Florida driver license?
At least 20/70 in either eye or both eyes together, with or without glasses or contacts, and at least 130 degrees of horizontal field of vision. If one eye is 20/200 or worse, the other must see 20/40 or better.
Can an optometrist fill out the Florida vision form?
Yes. The Report of Eye Exam can be completed by an optometrist.
How long does the exam for the form take?
At our offices inside Visionworks, the comprehensive eye exam, visual field test and form usually take about 30 minutes.